Woodlands curriculum

Woodlands School is committed to providing a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum which engages, motivates, excites and challenges our learners whilst preparing them for the future. Through careful planning and delivery, our curriculum is differentiated and personalised to meet the needs of our learners, enabling them to reach their potential and prepare them to take their place in society. We believe our pupils deserve the best provision possible and therefore we have high expectations and regularly review and evaluate the curriculum to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Our curriculum intent is to ensure that all pupils become:

• Confident learners who enjoy learning, make progress, achieve & are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
• Courageous learners who have their own character and distinctive qualities enabling them to achieve
• Responsible citizens who are socially aware individuals and make a positive contribution to their community and society as a whole.

We strongly believe that our curriculum:

• Is broad, balanced and flexible to meet the needs of all our learners.

• Has total communication at the heart of teaching and learning.
• Provides opportunities to develop independence at every opportunity.
• Uses the community to teach pupils application of concepts and transfer of important life skills.
• Prepares pupils for adulthood by creating clear pupil pathways working alongside parents and other agencies.
• Has a clear framework for planning and assessment for the pupil as a whole.
• Reflects progression and be differentiated to support the range of learners that we have in school.
• Promotes spiritual, moral, social, cultural and physical development
• Promotes creativity in learning.
• Engages parents in partnerships that will enhance the pupil’s cognitive, emotional and social development.

A significant number of our pupils have a diagnosis of Autism.   Our offer to meet the needs of these pupils includes a dedicated, specialised curriculum with range of teaching methods, interventions, approaches and strategies to promote and encourage good progress and access to the curriculum. In addition to this, we also offer a personalised curriculum and assessment (ImPACTS) for our pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Our curriculum map reflects our belief in the importance of cross curricular learning which makes clear links between different subject areas within a meaningful overall context.  Children become immersed in the context and learning becomes purposeful and meaningful.  Long term planning ensures coverage of the National Curriculum.  Medium term Planning is highly differentiated ensuring that all levels of learning, activities and experiences are addressed offering a relevant programme for all subjects.  Short term plans show how lessons will be carried out and specify the pupils’ individual targets which are being addressed through differentiation.  Progress against individual targets is noted in each pupil’s PLP.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage children follow the areas of learning and development as outlined in the early years statutory framework. These are:-

• Communication Language and Literacy
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children follow an adapted National Curriculum. This helps to ensure breadth and balance but is tailored appropriately to meet the very individual needs of our children. Our curriculum incorporates a variety of strategies and approaches personalised to small group and individual needs. Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 curriculum is topic based. Early Years and Key Stage 1 follow a 2 year cycle and KS2 a 4 year cycle.  Across the school, the Key stages have half-termly themes which are the focus for learning opportunities.  These themes have been carefully and strategically devised to ensure that there is a progression of skills across the key stages and where pupils are able to build on prior knowledge and embed these skills across a range of learning opportunities.

Classes for pupils with PMLD who do not engage in subject-specific learning use a curriculum and assessment tool called IMPACTS. This curriculum is comprised of 5 key skill areas: Communication, Cognition, Physical Development, PSED and ICT. When using IMPACTS, every key skill area of learning is divided in different strands which allow teachers to demonstrate the very detailed progress that the child is making.

Pupils use a variety of augmented approaches to develop and support their communication skills. For example, Intensive Interaction, communication aids, Sign Along and symbols including the Pictorial Exchange System (PECS). At Woodlands school we use the community as an outside class room to reinforce the work that we do in school. Children may swim at the local sports centre or visit a local museum or café. We also invite musicians, storytellers and theatre groups into school. An overnight residential is offered to a group of pupils in the summer term.

In addition to this pupils have access to a number of targeted supportive strategies that support them in overcoming potential barriers to their learning. Some of these strategies are:

• Forest School
• Rebound Therapy
• Horse Riding
• Sensory Integration
• Intensive Interaction
• Attention Autism
• Music Therapy
• Hydro Therapy
• Reading and writing interventions

To find out more about our curriculum please contact us, or make an appointment with your child's class teacher.

Assessment and Outcomes

We know that accurate and on-going assessment is fundamental to the setting of challenging learning targets, and creating stimulating opportunities for learning. We report to Department for Education (DfE), Local  Authority (LA), Governors and parents (see link below for policy).

Pupil progress is measured using The Growth Assessment Model which is a developmental assessment system using G Level ‘I can’ statements to measure small steps of progress. The assessment model is linked to pupils’ Education Health and Care Plan outcomes and allows a holistic approach to pupils’ development and promotes child-centred assessment.  The aim of this model is to look at pupils as individuals, recognise and promote their strengths, develop and focus on areas of a slower rate of progress and celebrate their unique skills and achievements. The Growth Assessment Model replaces P levels and includes G levels that bridge the gap for pupils that work below National Curriculum standards for Key Stage 1.

Children who are unable to access The Growth Assessment model are assessed using ImPACTS assessment. ImPACTS is a curriculum, assessment and target setting tool for pupils’ engaged in non-subject specific learning that allows the teaching and therapy team to meet pupils’ needs. These learners at Woodlands are assessed using the five key skills assessments from ImPACTS: Communication, Cognitive Skills, Environmental Control Technology (ICT), and Physical Development: Fine Motor and Gross Motor and PSEWB: Self-Advocacy. Once these assessments have been completed information from them is recorded on a Key Skills Profile.

Summative assessments use G levels or profile points depending on whether the pupils use the Growth Model or ImPACTS, and show attainment and progress. Progress is identified and measured through the number of 'I can' statements achieved, and a predicted trajectory for individual pupils. Formative assessment uses G level ‘I can…’ statements, PLPs (Personal Learning Plans) and Learning Journals to measure small steps of progress. Assessments are recorded continuously when a pupil has consistently achieved a skill and a teacher is confident that this skill is secure. Progress towards EHCP outcomes is tracked using both summative and formative assessment:

• Learning Journals/ Evidence for Learning (daily)
• PLPs (daily)
• Short term outcomes report (termly)
• Short Term outcomes data analysis (termly)
• Annual Review Report (annual).

Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs) are written at the start of every half term and reviewed at the end of the half term, though targets may be completed and renewed at any time. The PLP format is divided into five areas from the Educational Health Care Plan:

• Communication and interaction( Speaking and Listening, SLAT, ICT)
• Cognition and learning (Maths, Reading and Writing, Science)
• Sensory, motor and physical (PE, Swimming, Rebound, OT, Sensory diet, Physio)
• Social skills, mental and emotional health (PHSE, RSE, Social skills, Learning Behaviour, Learning to Learn, Interventions)
• Independence and community (Independence skills, daily living skills, Community visits, PSHE)

Assessment information is discussed at pupil progress meetings where pupil progress, measured against EHCP outcomes and PLP targets, are discussed and impact of interventions is reviewed.

Termly analysis and review meetings show whether learners are on track to meet or exceed targets and what is needed to support progress for all learners.

We moderate regularly both internally and externally to ensure consistency in judgments. Internal core subject moderation sessions are planned termly and have an agreed annotation and marking policy used by all staff. Our assessment systems are used constructively to support self-evaluation and school improvement.